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About

Daniel G. Fabricant is a prominent astronomical instrumentation scientist whose career has been defined by designing and building transformative spectroscopic tools for ground-based observatories. His most celebrated contribution is the Hectospec, a 300 optical fiber-fed spectrograph commissioned at the MMT Observatory in 2004, which revolutionized multi-object spectroscopy by employing a pair of high-speed six-axis robots capable of repositioning fiber buttons across a one-degree field of view in roughly 300 seconds. This landmark instrument has garnered over 380 citations, reflecting its widespread adoption by the astronomical community for large-scale galaxy surveys and stellar population studies. Fabricant's development work spanned decades, from Hectospec's initial design publications in 1994 and 1998 through its successful commissioning and the subsequent creation of Hectochelle, a complementary high-resolution echelle spectrograph sharing Hectospec's robotic positioner. His contributions extend beyond the MMT, with ongoing involvement in developing first-generation science instruments for the Giant Magellan Telescope, demonstrating a sustained commitment to enabling the next frontier of observational astronomy. Across his career, Fabricant has consistently translated engineering ingenuity into tools that empower researchers worldwide to pursue ambitious astrophysical questions at scale.